Red Cross expands service area, needs volunteers

Officials with the Ohio River Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross announced on Monday that Lawrence County has been added to their disaster coverage area. With the addition of Lawrence County the Ohio River Valley Chapter now provides serves to Scioto, Pike, Jackson and Lawrence counties.

“We look forward to the addition of Lawrence County. The Ohio River Valley Chapter provides CPR and First Aid Training, blood collection services, emergency communications for military personnel and their families and emergency and disaster services to our communities,” said Debbie Smith, chapter executive. “The Red Cross relies on volunteers in responding to nearly 70,000 disasters nationwide every year. Most of those responses involve home and apartment fires.”

Smith said one of the biggest needs of the chapter is volunteers.

“We definitely need volunteers in the Lawrence County area, of course we are always in need of volunteers in Scioto, Pike and Jackson Counties as well,” Smith said. “When we were notified we were getting Lawrence County, we were hope they already had some volunteers, but they did not.”

Smith said since Lawrence County was officially added to their coverage area on July 1 they have received multiple calls requesting services.

“Everyone that we’ve spoken with in Lawrence County are looking forward to our chapter being able to take over that area,” Smith said.

Smith said they are activity seeking volunteers in that area, in the mean time Red Cross staff and volunteers from other counties have been responding to that area.

Smith said the Red Cross offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including helping with disaster response, helping with shelters, helping with blood drives and helping with special events among many others. She said the Red Cross will train their volunteers for specific roles.

For more information about the Ohio River Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross or ways to volunteer call 740-354-3293 or visit www.redcross.org/oh/portsmouth.

Wayne Allen can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 1933 or on Twitter @WayneallenPDT

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